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Lionel Scaloni brushes aside Falklands history ahead of England vs Argentina semi-final: 'It's a football game'
The England vs Argentina rivalry is fueled by historical and geopolitical tensions, particularly due to the 1982 Falklands War.
Lionel Scaloni downplayed the political history between Argentina and England, ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final clash. Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1, and England edged past Norway 2-1 in their quarter-final fixtures.
The Argentina vs England match comes 40 years after a historic quarter-final showdown in 1986. Argentina clinched a 2-1 win at the Estadio Azteca, with Diego Maradona bagging a brace. One of the goals was the infamous Hand of God, when he punched the ball into the net, and the other was a sensational solo effort considered one of the best goals in football history.
‘The message is this is a football game’
Speaking to the media after Argentina defeated Switzerland, Scaloni said, "The message is this is a football game. That's what I can say."
"It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that's all."
"We are in the semi-finals, a privileged position in football that we might take for granted, but it's not that easy. We have every reason to be happy, satisfied and excited. Now we're going for everything we can, right to the end, with every last ounce of strength and every last drop of sweat. If we pull it off, great. If not, we're going to give it our all. Let there be no doubt about that," he added.
The Argentina vs England rivalry is fueled by historical and geopolitical tensions, particularly due to the 1982 Falklands War. In the 1966 World Cup quarter-final, England beat Argentina 1-0 in a controversial match that saw Argentina captain Antonio Rattin sent off and refusing to leave the pitch.
Then came the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match, in which Maradona's Hand of God goal sparked controversy. In the 1998 World Cup Round of 16, both sides met again, and Argentina won on penalties. England got revenge in 2002 with a 1-0 win.
Scaloni also feels the defending champions' run in Qatar has prepared them to handle any situation in 2026. "In Qatar, we were not that experienced, I myself included, and those kinds of situations were very difficult," he said.
"However, now we are more experienced because we know what it feels like to be dominated by the opponent, to concede an equaliser, so today we kept our composure. The team knew how to remain calm and, of course, we will never give up," he added.
